Meanwhile, in happier news, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and his coalition government have approved a bill that may pave the way for civil partnerships. While not as far reaching as similar laws in other countries, the proposed bill will allow people who live together to share inheritance, property and pensions, among other things. Piero Fassino of the Democrats of the Left party lauded the bill:

It’s the first time in the legislation of our country that people who live together, heterosexual or homosexual, will have their basic rights recognized…[The bill] allows the recognition of the rights of those who live together by making this cohabitation more serene and solid, and at the same time respecting the Italian constitution, which guarantees that the family is founded on marriage.

Of course, not everyone’s so excited. A number of conservative politicians have already promised to strike down the bill. Right winger Roberto Calderoli blasted the decision: “They are destroying the family, this…is just a Trojan Horse to allow marriage between gays.” Though there’s been no word from the Vatican as of yet, we’re sure Pope Benedict XVI will have something nasty to say.

We also predict that he’ll go on a killing rampage, biting off the heads of all the homos he can find before tossing their lifeless bodies in the street, where they’ll rot, spread disease and lead to the second Black Plague. But, we could be wrong…

If the Holy Father wants to whine about gays, maybe he should start with his own beloved Fatherland. Anyone who has ever been to Berlin, Hamburg, or Cologne knows the Germans are pretty comfortable with homosexuality. In fact, the place is gayer than most countries. Maybe it’s time for a mass exorcism?